Feature: Be the Best Pilot You Can Be—Fly the Focused Flight Review"When the AOPA Air Safety Institute, in collaboration with industry leaders, flight instructors, pilot clubs, and government agencies, designed the focused flight review, I got super excited. Why? Because I’m a bit rusty.”

Feature: Can I Fly? MELs, KOLs, and the Regs
“It’s a common response I get from checkride applicants when I ask them if something is not working properly on their aircraft: Would they be allowed to fly themselves home without needing to fix it?”

Feature: Know Thyself—Why Being Honest with Ourselves is so Hard
“Every pilot has strong and weak points, good and bad days, and being able to assess those differences before, during, and after each flight is crucial to our ability to learn and improve.”

Feature: Hack the Checkride"The reality is that if you are counting on a trick to give you the upper edge on a test, you probably aren’t really ready. Don’t ‘game’ the test: Prepare for it, perform it well, and succeed!"

Feature: Exercising the Command in PIC
"Sometimes in an emergency, your brain must instantly switch from 'compliance mode' to 'command mode.' One of my students got a firsthand look at such a situation recently during an emergency landing at Gillespie Field Airport (KSEE) in San Diego."

Feature: Yes…Maybe…No? to the Touch & Go—CFIs tackle a Touchy Topic
“Put several pilots in a hangar and raise a flying topic for discussion. The debate will likely be lively and opinions will vary based on pilot experience, proficiency levels, and plain seat-of-the-pants flying knowledge.”

Feature: Entry-Level Flight Instructors—Challenges & Opportunities
“As a new instructor, recognize when you know your stuff. Know what you know—be honest if you don’t but stand your ground when you do.”

Feature: The Lingering Flight Review—Explore Proficiency in a Way that Really Counts
“If we only see someone for an hour of ground and an hour of flight, what’s the most productive use of that time, and how can we simultaneously entice pilots to come back for additional training of their own volition?”

Feature: Checkride—Be There for Your Students
“Practical test day is stressful for the student but it can be easier if a good flight instructor does his or her job well. Preparing the student for a practical test is a big part of a CFI’s job, but the finishing touches require that the instructor follows through right to the end.”

Feature: Plunging into Unusual Attitudes—Dynamic Flight at the Edge of the Envelope
“Whether enrolling in unusual attitude training or upset prevention and recognition training, having had the experience could someday be a lifesaver when something unexpected jolts our otherwise serene flight...”

Feature: Get Schooled—Applying Nuts and Bolt in Flight Training
“Developing a greater understanding of the aircraft systems—not just from reading about them but by talking to mechanics and helping to work on the systems—gives us a broader knowledge base to work from when troubleshooting a potential emergency situation.”

Feature: My Toughest Student—Flying with Mom
“She wanted to get started on her instrument rating, fly some approaches on our way home, and log as much time as possible under the hood. Already, this seemingly simple airplane checkout was getting complicated.”

Feature: Arrival and Approach Briefings—The Components of a Safe Arrival
“Single pilot operations in light aircraft can be safer if you teach pilots the value of thinking through what it’s going to take to get from en route to tie-down.”

Feature: A Question of the Mind
“He explained that he had wanted to fly all his life—he had dreamed of being a pilot since early childhood—but the night before, his dream had been destroyed: He had been scared half out of his wits and was going to discontinue training.”

Feature: 5 Tips For Dynamite Demonstrations
Maneuver demonstrations are key events for aviation students. Although flight instructors are generally excellent observers and critics, they sometimes provide demonstrations that are not as helpful as they should be.